Vol. 435 No. 9
14 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the total cost of the contract entered into between the Southern Health Board and the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast; if he will give a breakdown of the cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Southern Health Board has indicated that the total cost of its contract for 300 hip replacement operations with the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, is £500,630.
Before entering into a contract with the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, the Southern Health Board approached all the suitable public and private hospitals in the country. The board awarded the contract to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, on the basis of competitive cost and the ability of that hospital to meet the board's requirements in terms of time-scale and quality assurances.
The arrangements made by the Southern Health Board with the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast will provide Cork patients with quality care at a reasonable cost and at an earlier date than would otherwise be possible.
I am extremely disappointed at the way the Minister fudged the question. Is he prepared to give the House a breakdown of the cost, including the daily cost of accommodation in the Royal Victoria Hospital, the cost, I presume, the return trip from Cork to Belfast and the cost of the prostheses involved?
The board has informed me that the total cost of the contract with the Royal Victoria Hospital is £500,630. This includes the initial payment for 100 cases and the scheduling of other payments for the 300 patients to be treated in Belfast.
I asked for a breakdown of the costs but I take it that the Minister is not prepared to answer the question. The reason I asked the question is that I am very anxious to ensure that this procedure will be of maximum benefit to the patients involved. I wish all parties well in this endeavour. Nevertheless, I am disappointed that these operations were not carried out in Cork. It is now accepted that our best medical graduates were forced to emigrate over the past ten years. Are we now commencing a programme for the exportation of Irish patients? If this is the case, it is particularly sad. I ask the Minister to outline the follow-up procedures which will be available to these patients on their return to Cork from Belfast. Will he give an assurance to this House that this is not a yellow pack job? The fact that the cost involved was approximately £500,000 sterling — the currency was not explicit from the answer — requires us to obtain a detailed breakdown. I am not satisfied that the costs involved——
The Deputy's question is overlong.
It is overlong because it is a very detailed and important question.
Unfortunately, we do not have that luxury at this time.
I want to garner specific information from the Minister which he has refused to give to the House. I ask the Minister to give us a breakdown of the costs involved.
I am surprised and disappointed that the Deputy opposite would join the narrow group of people who sought to discredit this very worthy initiative.
I asked the Minister for an assurance that this is not a yellow pack job.
The Deputy has asked a series of questions and he should listen to the Minister's reply.
I want to get the truth about this matter.
The use of words such as "yellow pack job" is unworthy of the Deputy opposite——
I am asking the Minister to refute——
Deputy Flanagan, please desist from interrupting.
——and is a slight on the Southern Health Board and the professional competence of one of the finest hospitals on these islands, the Royal Victoria.
I asked the Minister to refute the suggestion but he has not done so.
The prostheses used is exactly the same as that available in the Southern Health Board.
I applaud the initiative of the Southern Health Board. Since I became Minister we have provided almost £1 million for a state of the art theatre. I have sanctioned the appointment of an additional consultant orthopeadic surgeon for the Southern Health Board. The only question remaining is, while these facilities are being put in place, should we leave 300 people in pain? As far as I am concerned the Southern Health Board was absolutely right, they should not be allowed to continue in pain. They should be given relief instantly until we can but the facilities in place in Cork to deal with the problem of the waiting list.
Arising from that reply——
I am calling Question No. 15. Deputy Flanagan, I am in charge of Question Time. I will permit you a very brief question. I have given the Deputy quite some latitude in respect of this matter. A brief supplementary, Deputy, and then I will go on to deal with Question No. 15 in the name of Deputy Liz McManus.
Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle. In view of what the Minister has said about the position in Cork, can I ask him what initiatives he will undertake to ensure that those waiting lists in Cork, who are not part of the 300, will be catered for, with specific reference to the fact that the orthopaedic theatres in Cork are out of use? Will the Minister consider engaging in discussions with other hospitals in Cork?
There is a specific question about the closure of the Orthopaedic Hospital in Cork and I will deal with that when it arises. I wish to make two brief points. I welcome this initiative and I am hoping to develop other initiatives of this sort. The more cross-Border co-operation we can develop, the better. I met Lord Arran, the Northern Ireland Health Minister, last week and we jointly welcomed this initiative. We are working jointly on areas where we can co-operate and the more people who traverse the Border for good and peaceful reasons, the better. That is why all of us should welcome this particular development. I can assure the Deputy that the finest possible care will be afforded those 300 patients and that they will receive excellent aftercare when they return. The waiting list initiative that I announced will ensure that in excess of 17,000 patients will be treated, who would not have been treated otherwise, over and above the normal throughput this year. That is to the credit of this Government.
